Why is openness more important than decentralization?
What was interesting about Satoshi's invention of Bitcoin was that it was open and self-sufficient. This open and self-funding network eliminated trusted third parties, enabling a competitive system that anybody could participate in.
Openness is a property usually confused with decentralization. Decentralization is simply a description of network topology. By contrast, a network is open when anyone can join, and no one can determine who can and cannot participate. A network being decentralized does not necessarily mean it is open. Without openness, the topology of the network is meaningless, and the real innovation of Satoshi's solution is lost.
